What is the Community Foundation?

Community foundations are a purely American invention that began in 1914, just north of us in Cleveland, Ohio. Local banker Frederick Goff pooled the charitable resources of his community’s philanthropists to create a permanent endowment for the betterment of the city, and thus the first community foundation was born. Over a century later, it is a worldwide movement that has transformed the face of philanthropy.

Community foundations are unique compared to other foundations you may be familiar with, like private foundations. Community foundations are 501(c)(3) nonprofits, meaning we derive support from the community at large rather than a select few donors. Like other foundations, we’re known for distributing grants to causes big and small for the betterment of our community. We’re truly a foundation by the people, for the people.

There are hundreds of community foundations across the country, with 81 in Ohio alone. Those 81 Ohio Community Foundations hold $10.7 billion in assets and in 2023 awarded $653 million in grants to impact their communities.